


When the Best Laid Plans Gang Aglay

by bluethunder



Series: A Fine Pair (Norribeth) [2]
Category: Pirates of the Caribbean (Movies)
Genre: F/M, No beta we die like men - pointlessly and unprepared, Norribeth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-14 14:07:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29047395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluethunder/pseuds/bluethunder
Summary: Lizzy's plan to run away with Will doesn't quite work out as expected. However, the chaos does provide an opportunity for a heart to heart (and mouth to mouth) with her actual fiance, one James Norrington. Canon Divergence, Post-COTBP. Oneshot.
Relationships: James Norrington/Elizabeth Swann, Will Turner/Elizabeth Swann (mention)
Series: A Fine Pair (Norribeth) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1849267
Comments: 6
Kudos: 40





	When the Best Laid Plans Gang Aglay

Elizabeth burst into her father’s office, wild-eyed, startling her father and the naval officers with whom he had been meeting.

“Father! You must send out search parties! Will is missing!” She announced, uncaring of the audience.

The governor frowned at the frantic tone of her voice.

“Mr. Turner’s absence from the smithy has been noticed.” James informed her smoothly. “However, his departure seems planned. His personal affects are missing, as are his best swords. He had made arrangements to sell his remaining stock over the last week. While his skill as a smith will be missed, he is perfectly within his rights to quit Port Royal without notice.”

“It’s not like that - he didn’t leave. He wouldn’t.” She insisted, then turned to her father. “Something’s gone horribly wrong! He might’ve been kidnapped again!”

“Elizabeth, my dear, you’d best sit down and take a moment to calm yourself. I’m sure Mr. Turner is perfectly well. He likely booked passage this morning.”

“No! Only the Bellerephon was to set sail today and he was not on it!”

James’ spine stiffened at her knowledge and the room fell into an awkward silence as the men considered how she could know that. The obvious explanation was simple - she had been planning to meet Will Turner at best and leave with him at worst.

“Gilette, have two teams search for Mr. Turner. Groves, send a third to inquire after passengers for all docked ships. Check manifests.” James ordered.

Elizabeth chewed her lip as the men leapt to fulfill their orders.

“Governor, I would like a moment in private with Miss Swann.”

“I hardly think -”

“Now.” The younger man’s voice was steel. 

Even the governor had to acknowledge Norrington’s authority within the fort. Still, he glanced at his daughter first, leaving only after her small nod. At his departure, the room was bathed in silence.

“You’re not wearing your ring.” James finally observed, his voice tellingly neutral.

“No.” She agreed. “I’m not.”

“I take it this was by design?”

“Yes.”

James began pacing the room in silent agitation.

“You are aware of Mr. Turner’s plans to leave Port Royal.”

“Yes.”

“You are certain that his present circumstances are not in keeping with those plans.”

“Yes.” She agreed.

He suddenly stopped pacing and faced out the window. “You are aware of this because you were to meet with Mr. Turner before his departure.”

“Yes.”

James turned and met her eye. “You were to accompany him.”

She held her head high. “Yes.”

Something in him crumpled and he turned away from her, placing his hands on his desk.

“Why?”

Elizabeth startled at the rasp in his voice and found it hard to find her own.

“He is a blacksmith. A good one, I’ll allow you. He may one day be the best swordsmith in the Caribbean, but he is a smith and that is all he will ever be. That is all he can give you.”

“I don’t need so much as you think.” She offered quietly.

He turned to face her incredulously. “And running away? You’d have no money. No connections. How would you live?”

“It was only to be for a few weeks and I have enough for that. Father would find us by then, but…”

James swallowed hard. “But you would be married.”

“Yes.”

“The wife of a smith is not as easy as you might imagine.”

“It is rather less structured. I’m sure it has fewer luxuries, but I never cared much for society. Not truly.” She found herself opening up to her erstwhile suitor. After all, the most damning information had already been confessed. “I would not miss the corsets and the embroidery and the insipid tea parties with horrible, back-stabbing gossip mongers.”

He turned to face her in surprise.

“I know it would be difficult in ways my current situation is not, but… it would be rather more free.”

“Free?” He scoffed. “You think a life scarcely beyond poverty would give you freedom?”

“I’d have my mother’s money. My dowry. We could build a life on that well enough. I’d be in charge of the accounts and I know how to budget effectively. We’d make economies, but we’d be able to afford a small house to ourselves with one or two servants. More as the business progressed.”

“You’ve thought this through.” James observed.

“Of course I have.” Elizabeth scoffed.

“Why?” He repeated.

Elizabeth gave him a shrug. “He loves me.”

James took a step back. To her surprise, his expression suggested he had been punched in the gut unexpectedly.

“What?”

“He loves me. Me. Not my money, not my father’s influence, not my face, me.”

He raised a shaking hand to his face, swallowed hard, and met her eyes.

“And that’s all it took?”

Elizabeth’s brow furrowed.

“That’s all it took for you to abandon everything - your home, your father -” he cut himself off and took a steadying breath. “Why?”

“I want to be loved.” She answered simply. “I don’t care if you or anyone else thinks it’s childish. I want to be loved.”

The return of the just-slapped expression on his face prompted her to continue.

“He loves me very much. He risked his life for me several times over and he was willing to step aside if I’d be happier with - someone else, but he let me make my choice for myself. He loves me.” Elizabeth stated with an emphatic nod.

“And that’s all it took?” He repeated quietly, his voice shaking.

“I don’t understand.”

“The promise of love was all you required to throw your entire life and future away on a blacksmith?”

“His name is Will.” She bit back fiercely. “Smithing is his work, not his entire identity.”

James frowned, then paced again for a moment before turning and fixing her with an inscrutable look.

“But that was all. Love.”

Elizabeth sighed tiredly. “Yes, that’s all.”

“You don’t believe that anyone else can offer you love?”

“No.”

“What has led you to this conclusion?”

“No one else ever has.” She answered.

“And have you not considered that others might feel similarly for you and merely lacked the opportunity to show it?” there was something biting in his voice that she didn’t understand.

“I’ve been out for three years, James. If someone else loved me they could have damn well said it by now.”

There was a long, tense silence following her pronouncement.

“When you say ‘love’, you are speaking of passion, I presume.”

Elizabeth flushed a bit, but nodded. “Yes. Passionate love. I know I’m not entirely without love - my father loves me, obviously, but I want passionate, romantic love. Will can offer me that.”

“Mr. Turner has always deferred to your wishes. He has been grateful to you since the crossing. You are, to him, an abstract concept of the perfect woman. His savior. When he comes to know you more intimately, the two of you may feel differently.”

Elizabeth clenched her hands into fists. “Am I such a shrew that you honestly believe that he will fall out of love with me upon closer acquaintance?”

“No, of course not -”

“Then what could you possibly mean?!”

“Passion can fade. Love built upon respect and admiration despite one’s faults does not.” His voice rang out clearly and with authority.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “Well, I suppose it’s worth the risk.”

James stared at her flippant manner. 

“You want passion that badly - you’d throw your whole future away and toss in your lot with a blacksmith on the off chance that mere passion and your mother’s money would sustain you?”

She met his eyes. “Yes.”

His head dropped a bit as he considered what to say next.

“Do you love him?” his voice was rasping again.

“What?”

“Mr. Turner. You’ve mentioned his love of you several times, but I have not heard you say -” he cleared his throat in lieu of repeating the words.

Elizabeth blinked, not expecting the question. “I - I don’t - I don’t know.” She answered, startled.

His eyes jerked up to hers.

“You don’t know?”

“I care about him. I respect him. I think he is handsome.” She offered. “And he loves me.”

“You do not love him?”James pressed.

“I don’t know!”

“Then why?!”

“Because he loves me! Because with him, I won’t be the governor’s daughter, I’ll be Elizabeth! Because he’ll love me and do everything in his power to make me happy!”

“I would give you all that!” he burst, stepping towards her.

“No, James.” She gave him a sad smile. “You would give me a life of quiet comfort and cool civilities. That’s not the same thing.”

He gritted his teeth and took a few steadying breaths.

“Am I to understand that the sole reason you have plotted to break our engagement is that you feel that I cannot give you the same passion you have come to expect of Turner?”

Elizabeth swallowed. “I suppose so.”

“You truly think me so indifferent? Devoid of feeling?” irritation laced his tone. “That I do not see you as more than your father or your dowry?”

She snorted. “Such indignation from a man who called me an achievement.”

James faltered at the comment, but quickly rallied. 

“I understand that I could have chosen my words more carefully. I take responsibility for that, but, Elizabeth, you cannot think me devoid of passion for you.”

“I assure you, I can.”

“Then allow me to disabuse you of the notion.”

With that, he pulled her by her elbow into his embrace, buried a hand in her hair and bestowed her with a most passionate kiss. No sooner had his surprisingly soft lips caressed her own than he coaxed them open with his tongue. It delved into her mouth, sweeping and roiling like the waves of the sea, filling and exploring her thoroughly. His other hand cradled her to him, stroking her back.

When they parted, Elizabeth’s lungs aching for air, James shocked her by trailing kisses across her jaw and down her throat. She let out a startled gasp as she felt his tongue and teeth against her soft flesh. She was further scandalized by the way he pulled her dress just slightly out of place, then there was strange sensation of him sucking a bruise into her collarbone. Panting and stunned, Elizabeth wondered at what was happening when he finally relented, pressing a soft kiss to the mark and moving her dress back to cover it once more. She was touched by his attention to her reputation. Even in passion, he would not compromise her. And that was certainly what it was - passion. She was sure of it as he kissed and caressed his way back to her face, murmuring endearments and soft words of praise.

“Elizabeth.” He breathed reverently, taking her mouth once more.

Finally, they parted and he let their foreheads touch.

“How is that for passion, Miss Swann?”

“I - I -” She lifted her fingers to touch her swollen lips, in a daze. “You kissed me.”

“I did.”

“You -” she flushed, not even sure of what to call what he’d done to her chest.

“Yes.” He agreed, then gently brushed a stray curl over her ear. “I love you, Elizabeth. You can claim you don’t believe me if you wish, but you cannot deny my passion for you. I will let you go if you truly believe that I cannot make you happy, but…” He gently caressed her cheek. “You have not said you need Mr. Turner to be happy. You have only said that you need to be loved passionately. I can give you that. I can give you that and all the things he can’t.” He pressed another soft kiss to her mouth. “You must know that I do love you. Truly. I have never thought of you as an extension of your father or wealth or standing. To me, you have always been that clever, mischievous girl who tricked my men into helping her climb a tree. You’re the young woman who made me laugh during Lydia Mummers’ wedding. You’re the stunning minx whose little smirks make me tremble. You’re brilliant and beautiful and stubborn and fierce and I have always loved you. Give me the chance to make you happy.”

Elizabeth stared at him, dumbfounded.

“Please.” He added earnestly.

“I -” her mouth clicked shut as she rapidly tried to think of the correct response. “I - alright.”

“Alright?” He searched her eyes carefully.

“I - yes. Yes, I’ll - I’ll let you try.”

As his whole body sagged with relief, Elizabeth wondered how she had missed the tension that had been there before.

There was a knock at the door.

“Elizabeth? Commodore?” the governor called tentatively.

James smiled and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Thank you. You’ve made me so happy.” He breathed into her forehead. “You won’t regret it.” He assured her, kissing her lips quickly.

As he moved to the door to let her father in, he didn’t notice her lean forward, chasing his mouth. She blushed and pulled back before her father entered.

“Is everything alright?” Weatherby asked carefully.

“Yes. Everything is well and settled.” James said decisively. “My men are looking for Mr. Turner and Miss Swann is ready to return to King’s House to await news. Naturally, she is concerned for her old friend, who promised to say goodbye before he left. I will be by with news whenever it arrives or for dinner this evening, if that is still acceptable to you.”

“Of - of course.” Weatherby said, relieved, but shooting a questioning look at his daughter.

“And Elizabeth, darling, if the ring doesn’t fit, we can have it resized. Or if you would prefer another -”

“No.” Elizabeth cut him off abruptly, taking his hand. “No, I like the poesy ring.” She smiled softly.

“If it doesn’t suit you -”

“It suits me very well. Better than I had thought. Truly.”

“Good.” James pressed a kiss to her ring finger. “All I want is your happiness.”

“I know.” She smiled. “I expect you to see to it.”

“Always.” He assured her.

Later that night, Elizabeth stared at the ceiling above her bed, flushed and unable to sleep at the memory. Her plans did fail. While that fact was an annoyance to her, things did seem to work out. Will had indeed been kidnapped, but only by a well-meaning Jack Sparrow, and James… well, he was a fine man and he’d make an even better husband.

Her fingers brushed against her lips, then pressed against the hidden spot of purple on her collarbone. 

Oh, yes. James would do quite well, indeed.

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked it... I can haz comments and kudos?


End file.
